Most Americans Believe Single Motherhood Is Bad for Society, Survey Finds

If you're a single mother struggling to raise kids on your own, here's another challenge to add to your list: Most Americans disapprove of your lifestyle.

Although there is a growing acceptance or tolerance of same-sex and unmarried couples raising children, most Americans still believe single motherhood is outright "bad for society," according to results of a survey released this week by the Pew Research Center's Social and Demographic Trends.

But despite the attitude toward single parents, census statistics show nuclear families today account for barely one in five U.S. households, while the National Center for Health Statistics reports nearly four in 10 births are to unmarried women, the Washington Post reports.

"People aren't embracing these changes, but they are accepting them," Rich Morin, a senior editor at the Pew Center and author of the report, tells the Post. "The days when people were made to wear a scarlet letter or were shunned after a divorce are ancient history."

The survey asked a nationally representative sample of 2,691 adults whether they considered the following seven trends in modern family structure to be good, bad or of no consequence to society:

More unmarried couples raising children

More gay and lesbian couples raising children

More single women having children without a male partner to help raise them

The most striking difference between the three groups occurs in their reported attitudes toward single motherhood. Virtually all of the skeptics (99 percent) say the trend is bad for society, while nearly 90 percent of accepters say the increase in single women having children has made no difference or is a good thing for society, according to the survey.

The difference between skeptics and accepters on their views of single motherhood is so great that the two groups would merge into one if that question were removed from the survey, the authors report.

Overall, the three groups of respondents are split as follows:

One-half to two-thirds of the accepters say the seven trends make no difference to society; but, of the remainder, more say most of the trends are good, rather than bad. This group is most likely to include women, Hispanics, East Coast residents and adults who seldom or never attend religious services.

The rejecters, a similarly-sized group, reject nearly every trend the accepters tolerate or approve of. A majority say five out of the seven changes are bad for society, accepting only interracial marriage and few women having children. They are also the only group in which a majority says it's harmful for mothers of young children to work outside the home. This group is overwhelmingly comprised of whites, older adults, Republicans, the religiously observant and married adults.

The skeptics, a somewhat larger group, share most of the tolerant views of the accepters, but also express concern about how these trends impact society. However, nearly all of these respondents say single motherhood is bad for society -- vs. only 2 percent of accepters who feel this way. However, most say the six other trends make no difference or are good for society. This group is mostly comprised of young people, Democrats and political independents and minorities.

Andrew Cherlin, a Johns Hopkins University sociologist who studies families, tells the Post the poll underscores the widespread acceptance of nearly all types of two-parent families.

"Working mothers are acceptable to almost everybody," Cherlin says. "Two parents who are unmarried are tolerated or acceptable. But many people, including single parents themselves, question single-parent families. There's still a strong belief that children need two parents."

But Cherlin suggests that, for many Americans, this opinion is rooted in practical, not moral, concerns.

"They're concerned about the economic problems of single mothers, and the amount of effort it takes to be a good parent. People aren't anti-single mother as much as they are pro-two parents," he concludes.

AOL Answers is no longer available.

As AOL continues to grow and evolve we are taking necessary actions to ensure our efforts and resources are
focused on the areas where we can create the maximum amount of value for our loyal consumer base. As a result
we have decided to sunset AOL Answers. Thank you for your participation in this site. If you have an AOL-related
question (passwords, account information, etc.), please visit our AOL Help site at help.aol.com.

A Spooky Number Of Americans Believe In GhostsA HuffPost/YouGov poll shows that 45 percent of Americans believe in ghosts, or that the spirits of dead people can come back in certain places and situations. Lee Speigel and Connie Willis join Abby to discuss.

ReaderComments (Page 1 of 10)

Too many Americans getting their news from the only station to sue for the right to force their reporters to lie on air and won in appeal - FOX "News". No other news station forces their reporters to lie. None. Just FOX. So much less compassion in America now thanks to them.

Families being poor are bad for society, too. That's not a moral judgment against those who are poor. People find themselves in less than optimal circumstances and have to do the best they can. Studies have shown that it's better for children to be raised in two-parent families. Kudos to single moms who bear a greater burden in raising their kids.

Divorce is bad for society. Society has men looked upon as wife beaters, don't care for kids etc. The truth isn't even close to that. Women know the court will favor them no matter how good the dad is. Women get married, have kids and over 75% of divorces are started by women yet research finds more men are abused than women but most men won't report it.At least my son knows the truth. I try to get him to visit his mom but he refuses. Make people wanting a divorce be required to show a reason why it's needed and not just to give a woman money and screw up kids lives.

msnbc news makers and news fakers have done a fantastic job on caz... there. Brainwashing at msnbc is an art form of miss information, lies, spin and re-spin of facts. Wow to see the caz... comment is proof our educational system is worthless. I guess in the big picture, there are more like that "learning" from the msnbc types and that is an anti-American wave of ignorance. sad, really.

People are so closed minded. I'm a single mom both of my children are honor roll students. They do contribute more to household chores than most of their friends but I feel secure in knowing that when they are grown and on thier own my children won't be waiting for someone else to do things for them I have taught them to be strong and independent and not to wait on life to happen but to make it happen for themselves. Maybe if some adults were being held to higher standards like they used to be, so many of them wouldn't be running away from resposibility because life is hard. Hello it's called LIFE it's supposed to be hard!!!!

Some other people raised by single mothers: Ted Bundy-serial killerEdmund Kemper-serial killer Charles Manson-Nut Josef Stalin-Dictator and mass exterminator If single motherhood is forced upon someone-fine. But so many modern women SEEK to have a child by themselves, and no matter WHAT the idiot femnazis say, a loving two-parent man and woman family is still the best!!!

I am a 50 year old single father. My 14 year old daughter lives with me. She has been an honor roll student the last 2 years. I am OK with the majority of Americans not accepting my lifestyle. As I get older I am becoming less and less tolerant of the general American public's short sightedness...

Congratulations on raising your kids to be successful adults. Sadly too many single parents are not. I work as a substitute teacher and I get to see the end result of people who just had children and then went on with their own selfish plans. Some women are more concerned with catching the next man than being a mother. The people having children and just expecting those children to raise themselves is staggering. There are single parents and then there are people who had children when they themselves were children (middle school age) and are contributing nothing to society except juvenile delinquents, future welfare recipients, and prison inmates.

Ralph:Your focus and that of others should be rearranged to view the man's role in these broken marriages. Too much focus for too long on moms trying to do the right thing for their kids.

There are two people involved in that baby making process. Turn the table around. What about the many deadbeats, drunks, selfish narcissist types who are only concerned about the brain between their legs? Yeah, those guys who leave their families high and dry because they can't handle the responsibility of parenting? If more men acted like real men and took responsibility for their role as father and husband, maybe there wouldn't be so many single moms? Also, please consider this as an addendum to your list - these gems were raised in TWO parent families: Gary Ridgeway the Green River Killer - most prolific serial killer ever; Columbine killers - Eric and his troubled buddy; Jeffrey Dahmer; there are more but I need to go now, to get to my third job to pay the bills for a medically needy child as my ex refuses to work so he doesn't have to pay child support!

It's very interesting to see that most people accept but do not like those oddball families. It won't be for another 10 to 15 years or so before we really learn what kind of adult were raised by gat and unmarried couples, and I hope, for their sakes, that I'm wrong, but I'm afraid for society when it's discovered how messed up these people may or may not be.

Actually, there are plenty of successful adults raised by gay, unmarried and single parents. Look up Zack Wahls. He's just one example. There are thousands more. Pick up a newspaper or check it out online. It's not hard to find them.

Alot of the time it isn't the womans fault. As soon as she says hey I'm pregnant the men usually leave claiming that it isn't theirs.Men have been taught that there is no responsibility regarding offspring. They figure the government will take care of them. Why should they? The women have no other choice but to raise their children alone.

Can't put all men in this category, but it certainly happened to me! Would get jobs that were paid under the table, you name it. I worked full time, rose to the top of my profession, & raised my son to become a respectable, kind & giving human being. Was even a surrogate mother to many of his friends growing up who were less fortunate than we were. They still call me mom to this day. Currently on scholarship & going to college - so proud of him! I was & still am there for all his sporting events, which helped give him strong roll models to follow. He calls & sees his grandparents regularly without having me to tell him to, which tickles them to death.

Frank: I dis-agree with the comment you made. The statement is false. I have three grown-up sons and have always taught them if they lay they pay. One has a teenager, never married the mother and he is responsible. It takes two to make a baby and if women weren't so into themselves and be a little nicer to the fathers maybe more men would be more responsible

What planet are you from? Suggesting that the woman has no choice but to raise her child alone? The woman has the choice to give the baby up for adoption!!! That's what is best for the child. Doesn't that concern enter into this situation at all?

and I bet that 99% of skeptics don't believe in abortion either. But even better is when you have two "parents" popping out kids the TWO of them can ill-afford, so you and i pay for them with our tax dollars. Yep. Thats much better .

TheTalkies

AOL Answers is no longer available.

As AOL continues to grow and evolve we are taking necessary actions to ensure our efforts and resources are
focused on the areas where we can create the maximum amount of value for our loyal consumer base. As a result
we have decided to sunset AOL Answers. Thank you for your participation in this site. If you have an AOL-related
question (passwords, account information, etc.), please visit our AOL Help site at help.aol.com.